Today, the majority of digital content resides within computer based file systems. We use the file systems to manage our digital content by organizing it, distributing it, and controlling access in much the same way as filing cabinets manage paper-based content. Typically within an organization, digital content may be distributed across many different types of devices, linked by many different types of networks and that content may be accessed and controlled by many different types of users, on many different types of devices, under many different types of business situations.
Content management systems are becoming increasingly complex in terms of the amount of content, the number of users, the number of different devices and locations from which content is provided and must be distributed to, and the constant changing nature of business processes that use content. Enterprise IT departments are challenged to provide reliable, cost effective solutions that allow policies to be efficiently and dynamically defined in a manner that content management systems can execute in an efficient and scalable fashion. A well-implemented solution would allow users to use policies to tailor the content management system to the specific needs of the individual users in a manner that does not require any structural changes to the underlying system.